Maple syrup is obtained from boiling the xylem sap of maple trees. In cold climates, the maple trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter and the starch is converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.
Maple syrup is graded according to the Canada, United States, or Vermont scales based on its density and translucency. Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup. In Canada, syrups must be at least 66 percent sugar and be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup. In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labeled as “maple”.
Since the applications of maple syrup in a liquid form are limited, it would be highly desirable to be provided with a maple syrup product processed into a solid form and therefore having a low water content. In addition, since existing dehydrated powdered maple syrup products do not exhibit the flavor profile of the liquid maple syrup (usually because the sucrose content from an exogenous additive is too elevated), it would also be desirable to be provided with a maple syrup processed into a solid form having, as a predominant flavor, the distinct maple syrup flavor. It would also be desirable to obtain a dehydrated product which is a flowable liquid at elevated temperature (in order to facilitate handling of the product) and a solid room temperature (in order to facilitate processing and use of the product). It would also be preferable that the dehydrated maple syrup product, upon storage, does not form crystalized sugars. It would nevertheless be preferably a very versatile product that could be processed into various food, nutraceutical, dietary supplement or natural health product applications.